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Heller foresees `lot of work ahead' with Boatmen

During 12 years as an NFL offensive lineman, Ron Heller's job was to protect such star quarterbacks as Dan Marino, Randall Cunningham, Jim McMahon and Steve Young.

By Daniel GirardSports Reporter

Sat., Jan. 24, 2009

During 12 years as an NFL offensive lineman, Ron Heller's job was to protect such star quarterbacks as Dan Marino, Randall Cunningham, Jim McMahon and Steve Young.

His new job is to improve the offensive line of the Toronto Argonauts, who finished 4-14 last season and scored the fewest points of any CFL team.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I wish I was going into my fifth year with these guys and they were the best team in the league," Heller said yesterday after being named the team's offensive line coach. "There's a lot of work ahead of us.

"But everybody on that team's got to realize that we need to have a different attitude and go in a different direction and that's comforting."

Heller, 46, was drafted out of Penn State in 1984 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also played with Philadelphia and Miami before a knee injury forced him to retire.

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Heller coached linemen for three seasons with NFL Europe's Amsterdam Admirals, working with new Argos head coach Bart Andrus.

Even though he has no CFL coaching experience, Andrus said Heller's playing career gets the respect of linemen. He added that the two of them think alike when it comes to offence, with Heller liking to throw the ball as much as run it.

"I really feel like the guy that coaches the offensive line is a big part of any football coaching staff," Andrus said.

"Those guys (linemen) are the heart and soul of the team."

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